Description
May 15, 2026
47th Tour de Hongrie 2026 🇭🇺 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 3 – Kaposvár – Szekszárd : 152,3 km
Tour de Hongrie is a UCI 2.Pro classification that unfolds across the diverse and often dramatic landscapes of Hungary,
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May 15, 2026
47th Tour de Hongrie 2026 🇭🇺 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 3 – Kaposvár – Szekszárd : 152,3 km
Tour de Hongrie is a UCI 2.Pro classification that unfolds across the diverse and often dramatic landscapes of Hungary, where the roads weave through a mix of rolling plains, volcanic hills, and steep, forested climbs that reveal the country’s unexpected topographical variety. The terrain is a blend of long, gradual ascents and shorter, punchier climbs, with gradients that rarely exceed 10% but are relentless in their repetition, particularly in the northern regions where the route tackles the Bakony and Börzsöny mountain ranges. The climbs are often technical, with tight switchbacks and uneven surfaces that demand focus, while the descents are fast and winding, their narrow lanes and sharp bends testing riders’ nerve and precision. The flatter stages, typically found in the Great Hungarian Plain, are deceptively challenging, with long, straight roads exposed to crosswinds that can split the peloton and turn the race into a tactical battle for shelter and position. The race dynamics are defined by these climbs and wind-exposed stretches, with attacks launching on the steepest ramps or during moments of echelon formation, the peloton thinning as fatigue sets in. The final kilometers often feature a decisive ascent, a fast, technical run-in, or a reduced bunch sprint, where positioning and timing are critical. The Tour de Hongrie is a race that rewards versatility, testing riders’ ability to climb, descend, and adapt to a course that blends the raw difficulty of the Hungarian highlands with the tactical nuances of a stage race. Its mix of terrain ensures that no single type of rider dominates, making it a true test of endurance, strategy, and resilience.
Tim Merlier won his second stage of the Tour de Hongrie on Friday, sprinting clear on what was a cold, wet day in the saddle.
The Soudal-QuickStep rider followed Fernando Gaviria, who launched his trademark late sprint; the Belgian launched off the wheel to take victory. The Caja Rural-Seguros RGa rider finished second, with Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in third place.
“Hats off to my team, who did a great job to bring back the breakaway and then to control the race in the final part,” Merlier said.
“It was cold, but also nervous in the end, due to the echelons. I didn’t know how I would react after such a day, but luckily, I had the legs to pass Fernando in the last meters.
“I’m happy with my second victory here and with having again the yellow jersey. It’s been a great week so far for us and we hope to do something nice also in the weekend”, Tim said after delivering Soudal Quick-Step’s tenth win of the season.
The final kilometres unfolded in cold rain on wide roads, resulting in a chaotic finish.
Jayco-AlUla did much of the work, catching the last of five breakaway riders with 13km to go, while Merlier’s Soudal-QuickStep occasionally helped out. With 5km remaining, Flanders Baloise and NSN formed their trains, but on wide, wet roads, the final was chaotic, with only Jayco exerting any control.
Only inside the final 2km did Merlier’s team emerge from the melée. Yves Lampaert got a gap on the exit to a right-hand bend, but when he was caught, Merlier was perfectly positioned to take the win.
With bonus seconds from his two stage wins, Merlier regains the overall lead with two stages to go.
After the opening sprint stage and a punchy finish to Thursday’s wind-affected race, the third of five stages brought the race’s first proper climbing, with the two third-category climbs punctuating the 152.8km stage between Kaposvár and Szekszárd.
Almost as soon as the flag dropped, five riders attacked, with Bauke Mollema (Lidl-Trek)) Victor Vercouillie (Flanders Baloise), Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Erik Fetter (United Shipping) and Ádám Résész (Campana Imballagi-Morbiato-Trentino) quickly building a lead.
Three of the breakaway riders had started the day within 16 seconds of overall leader, Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), so the group were kept on a short leash throughout the day, their lead initially allowed to settle at 1.50.
Fetter won the intermediate sprint at Kaposvár, at the end of an opening, 26.4km loop and, just under 20km later, with the gap coming down on the classified climb to Gödre, Vercouillie attacked. The Belgian was unable to take the points at the top of the climb; however, Fetter took the honours there, too, putting himself at the top of the mountains classification.
From there, the leaders’ advantage settled around 1:30. Fetter took the next intermediate sprint, this one at Komló, with 68km remaining and just ahead of the day’s main climb to Komló-Zobákpusta. By the time the leading group crested the top, Vercouillie taking maximum points, their lead was down to only 50 seconds, where it remained.
With the group down to four after Résész crashed on a wet corner, and by the time Vercouillie won the final intermediate sprint 25km from the line, the peloton was just 30 seconds behind, the catch inevitable.
Vercouillie was the only one able to follow a late attack by Mollema, but the Dutchman’s caution on a wet descent saw the pair separated with the peloton closing and making the catch shortly afterwards.
Results :
 ME - Stage 3 </strong> - Kaposvár - Szekszárd : 152,3 km
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Tour de Hongrie is a UCI 2.Pro classification that unfolds across the diverse and often dramatic landscapes of Hungary, where the roads weave through a mix of rolling plains, volcanic hills, and steep, forested climbs that reveal the country’s unexpected topographical variety. The terrain is a blend of long, gradual ascents and shorter, punchier climbs, with gradients that rarely exceed 10% but are relentless in their repetition, particularly in the northern regions where the route tackles the Bakony and Börzsöny mountain ranges. The climbs are often technical, with tight switchbacks and uneven surfaces that demand focus, while the descents are fast and winding, their narrow lanes and sharp bends testing riders’ nerve and precision. The flatter stages, typically found in the Great Hungarian Plain, are deceptively challenging, with long, straight roads exposed to crosswinds that can split the peloton and turn the race into a tactical battle for shelter and position. The race dynamics are defined by these climbs and wind-exposed stretches, with attacks launching on the steepest ramps or during moments of echelon formation, the peloton thinning as fatigue sets in. The final kilometers often feature a decisive ascent, a fast, technical run-in, or a reduced bunch sprint, where positioning and timing are critical. The Tour de Hongrie is a race that rewards versatility, testing riders’ ability to climb, descend, and adapt to a course that blends the raw difficulty of the Hungarian highlands with the tactical nuances of a stage race. Its mix of terrain ensures that no single type of rider dominates, making it a true test of endurance, strategy, and resilience.
Tim Merlier won his second stage of the Tour de Hongrie on Friday, sprinting clear on what was a cold, wet day in the saddle.
The Soudal-QuickStep rider followed Fernando Gaviria, who launched his trademark late sprint; the Belgian launched off the wheel to take victory. The Caja Rural-Seguros RGa rider finished second, with Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in third place.
"Hats off to my team, who did a great job to bring back the breakaway and then to control the race in the final part," Merlier said.
"It was cold, but also nervous in the end, due to the echelons. I didn't know how I would react after such a day, but luckily, I had the legs to pass Fernando in the last meters.
"I'm happy with my second victory here and with having again the yellow jersey. It's been a great week so far for us and we hope to do something nice also in the weekend", Tim said after delivering Soudal Quick-Step's tenth win of the season.
The final kilometres unfolded in cold rain on wide roads, resulting in a chaotic finish.
Jayco-AlUla did much of the work, catching the last of five breakaway riders with 13km to go, while Merlier’s Soudal-QuickStep occasionally helped out. With 5km remaining, Flanders Baloise and NSN formed their trains, but on wide, wet roads, the final was chaotic, with only Jayco exerting any control.
Only inside the final 2km did Merlier’s team emerge from the melée. Yves Lampaert got a gap on the exit to a right-hand bend, but when he was caught, Merlier was perfectly positioned to take the win.
With bonus seconds from his two stage wins, Merlier regains the overall lead with two stages to go.
After the opening sprint stage and a punchy finish to Thursday's wind-affected race, the third of five stages brought the race's first proper climbing, with the two third-category climbs punctuating the 152.8km stage between Kaposvár and Szekszárd.
Almost as soon as the flag dropped, five riders attacked, with Bauke Mollema (Lidl-Trek)) Victor Vercouillie (Flanders Baloise), Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Erik Fetter (United Shipping) and Ádám Résész (Campana Imballagi-Morbiato-Trentino) quickly building a lead.
Three of the breakaway riders had started the day within 16 seconds of overall leader, Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), so the group were kept on a short leash throughout the day, their lead initially allowed to settle at 1.50.
Fetter won the intermediate sprint at Kaposvár, at the end of an opening, 26.4km loop and, just under 20km later, with the gap coming down on the classified climb to Gödre, Vercouillie attacked. The Belgian was unable to take the points at the top of the climb; however, Fetter took the honours there, too, putting himself at the top of the mountains classification.
From there, the leaders' advantage settled around 1:30. Fetter took the next intermediate sprint, this one at Komló, with 68km remaining and just ahead of the day's main climb to Komló-Zobákpusta. By the time the leading group crested the top, Vercouillie taking maximum points, their lead was down to only 50 seconds, where it remained.
With the group down to four after Résész crashed on a wet corner, and by the time Vercouillie won the final intermediate sprint 25km from the line, the peloton was just 30 seconds behind, the catch inevitable.
Vercouillie was the only one able to follow a late attack by Mollema, but the Dutchman's caution on a wet descent saw the pair separated with the peloton closing and making the catch shortly afterwards.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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